Oil-saving drip-pan for sewing-machines



HINES.

ew 9 m m u a Ts d N H M WH d mom m cVwlo 6 \IIH M M r P UQBVW APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1919' 1,334,088.

SAUL GOLDSI'ONE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

OIL-SAVING- DRIP-PAN EOE SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters I-atent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

Application filed February 27, 1919. Serial No. 279,648.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAUL GoLns'roNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Saving Drip-Pans for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drip pans for sewing machines, pertaining more particularly to structures of this type adapted to provide for the saving of the oil drippings.

While the invention is adapted for use in connection with various work-performing mechanisms, and is not limited to use with sewing machines, it is more particularly designed for use with this latter class and more especially to machines of this class designed for operation under high-speed conditions.

Machines of this latter type are generally employed under large capacity conditions, being powerdriven and operating generally under piece-work conditions wherein the time factor is one of importance to the workman; hence, there is a constant incentive to maintain the quantity output regardless of the effect on the mechanism itself. Under high-speed operation these machines require frequent oiling, and, owin to the time factor, the workman is inclined to employ larger quantities of the oil than ma be actually necessary, the result being that there is more or less constant dripping of oil into the drip pan. Consequently there is a comparatively rapid accumulation of oil, and since the drip pan of this type of machines is generally open-ended with a small upturned flange at the open ends to produce a shallow pan effect, there is a constant liability of the oil accumulations becoming such as to overflow these end flanges without, however, providing a suflicient flow to insure direct dripping from the pan on to the floor, the result generally being that the oil will follow the outer face of the pan bottom and tend to form a film on this bottom face; if then permitted to accumulate the drippings pass on to the floor.

This condition becomes an important factor in operations of this kind, owing to the fact that the exposed film is in such position where it may reach the clothing of the operator. since the mechanism controls are generally located at a point below the pan accessible to the knee of the operator, Not

only does this film condition tend to aflect the clothing of the operator, but a greater damage results from the inherent necessity of the operator placing the work in a position where it may come in contact with the soiled portions of the clothing or even be brought into direct contact with this outer face of the pan through the movements of the operator in manipulating the controls. This, of course, produces an oil stain on the particular garment forming the work, and practically renders the latter unsalable. In commercial operation this condition isof frequent occurrence, so that on final inspection such stains are frequently found present, requiring the discarding of the garment and the practical loss of the material and time employed in the manufacture of the garment.

One way generally employed in an attempt to prevent this condition is to place a number of fabric clippings in the pan, these clippings being designed to take up the oil content'as it drips, and where the operator gives the proper attention, this solution is more or less satisfactory. The difficulty, however, lies in the presence of this time factor, the operator either forgetting to take out the more or less saturated clippings and substitute othersthus tending to keep the pan free from accumulations with the result that the accumulations reach the point wherethis overflow action takes place. Not only is this forgetting a common habit among the operators, but even where the clippings are periodically remove-d,the operator simply takes up the mass of saturated clippings, balls them and tosses them to one side instead of placin them in a particular receptacle. Since t ese clippings are highly inflammable, this carelessness of the operator brings about the conditions leading to fire conflagrations, this having been found to be the basic cause of a number of fires which have taken place; and this is accentuated by the fact that the oil accumulations from the drip pan, even if the clothing of the operator does not remove the film in manipulating the controls, drip on to the floor of the room and thus make the lattera tinder box.

These are the conditions which the present invention is designed to meet, through eliminating the ditficulties at the source, viz: by preventing accumulations in the pan suflicient to provide the overflow action, and in culties which flow from this source, but in addition actually provide a saving in cost through the ability to reuse the 011 employed.

Other objects of the invention are to provide this result in a simple and efiiclent manner and at a comparatively small expense, the invention being adapted for application to drip pans heretofore employed by a few simple changes, or can be utllized in the construction of new structures.

To these and other ends, therefore, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists in the improved constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended cla m.

In the accompanying drawings, in WhlC-ll similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views,'

Figure 1 is a view partly diagrammatic and partly in section, showing a sewing machine head to which a drip pan of my 1mproved construction is applied, the latter being shown partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of of Fig. 1. p v

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

A indicates a sewing machine head mounted on the usual table B, the latter havingthe usual opening to receive the parts he drip pan which generally extend below the top plane of the table.

C indicates the dri pan, the general configuration ofwhich' is similar to that normally supplied as a part of the standard machine represented in the drawing, with the exception that in the standard drip pan the bottom extends practically on a single 'plane, the ends carrying upwardly-project- 1ng flanges, these flanges forming, with the bottom, a shallow pan into which the drippings normally pass, this particular type of drip pan being open-ended, the sides having flanges-of suitable width which are secured to the head or to the table. As shown, this particular form of standard pan has one end recessed, this,.being provided to permit a ready manipulation of the bobbin structure usually employed. Adjacent to the operating end is an opening through which suitable controls may extend. The general construction is such that a limited amount of oil may accumulate within the pan, it being assumed that the accumulations will be removed before they reach an amount suflicient to provide an overflow. As above pointed out this is seldom done bythe operator, and the make-shift preventive is provided by strewing' clippings over the bottom of the pan for the purpose of absorbing the drippings.

In the present invention the difliculti'es are eliminated by having the bottom 10 of the pan of a suitable dish shape, the dishing being from each of the parts of the pan into which the drippings generally pass toward a common point, it being understood, of course, that the drippings from the head are restricted more or less to different local points. Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings will indicate somewhat the general character of channels tending to collect the oil from the adjacent surfaces of the bottom and form a runway for the collected oil toward the actual collecting point. p Y

' At this-collecting point, the bottom 10 is shown as formed with an opening 12 of suitable sizeits area need not be large for obvious reasons'and in this opening I 10- cate a suitable screen 13, preferably of comparatively fine wire mesh, or it may be of gauze type, this screen bein secured in position by suitable means, as by soldering, the screen being so positioned as not to prevent the ready flow of theoilto this point and at the'same time will limit the passage of oil through the opening only to passage through the screen.

tomin suitable manner below the screen and through which the screened oil is required to pass. This nipple is shown as being threaded similar to the threaded portion of the ordinary oil can nozzle or spout, the threaded portion projecting below the bottom, and, by reason of the threaded formation, permitting an ordinary oil can body, indicated at 15, to be detachably secured thereto, the can body being threaded to and from its seat on the nipple in the usual manner and forming the collection receptacle for the oil. Obviously, since the receptacle is the body ofthe oil can itself, it will be readily understood that by employing two oilcan bodies, one can be positioned on the nipple and serve as an oil saver and then,

upon removal and the connection therewith facture becomes a question of shop practice.

As will be readily understood, there is no material accumulation of oil permitted, since the drippings immediately pass toward the screen, so that the liability-of admixing of dust and oil within the pan is materially reduced, thus reducing the possibility of forming obstructions to the free passage of the oil toward the screen. Under service conditions, a pan of the type disclosed herein has remained uncleaned' for a period of more than three months,the only attention paid to it being the substitution of one can body for-another, the outer face of the bottomof the pan being wholly free from oil film and there being no drippings to the floor throughout the period, it being understood, of course, that no clippings or other absorbent material was employed, and that the oil which was saved was continuously re-used during the period. 3

Obviously, the particular peripheral configuration of the drip pan is more or less de-' articular use in which it pendent upon the is to be placed, t e variations in machine construction, requiring changes in such peripheral configuration. Nor is it materially essential that the pan be open-ended, the essential featurebeing the dishing of the panin such manner asto provide a local point to which the drippings will pass-preferably quickly-and thus place the drippings at the point of screening before any mateboth ends to pernut ready access for cleanmy hand.

rial accumulation canoccur, thus tending to ellminate contamination of the oil by .dust, etc.; should dust be present, it will'be.

screened from the oil at the collecting point, and the-periodical cleaning of the pan would be made more particularly to remove any accumulations of extraneous matter which may havebeen removed from the oil drippings by the screen.

'While I have herein shown and described a preferred way in which the invention may be provided and placed in service, it will be understood, of course, that changes and modifications therein may be found desirable or necessary in meetingthe exigencies of use and I desire to be understood as reserving the right to make any and all such changes 01' modifications as maybe found essential or desirable in so far .as they may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the accompanying claim. Having thus described my invention, what I'claim as new is:

The combination with a work-performing mechanism and its support, of a dri pan extending below said support in'positlon to receive oil drippings, said panbeing supported on two sides by suitable flange members and being open and unsupported at ing, said pan having a relatively shallow dished bottom: to receive the drippings and providea drippings'collecting point, a screen member at said point, a nipple extending be low the bottom ofthepan'at said point, and 75 an, oil savingreceptacle detachably secured to said nipple.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I SAUL GOLDSTONE. 

